Potting Soil And Compost Explained For Beginners

When it comes to growing vegetables or sowing seeds, the soil used is of paramount importance. It affects growth, nutrient profile, and speed of maturity. So you may be wondering, What’s the deal with potting soil and compost?

Great question.

They’re not the same thing, and in this article, I am going to explain and show you the difference between potting soil and compost.

But for the sake of convenience, here’s what you need to know.

When it comes to growing most plants or vegetation, particularly in containers, potting soil is the perfect medium comprised of multiple ingredients, including compost, that offer a diverse and appropriate mineral and acid profile for the germination of seeds or the development of plants. On the other hand, compost is not to be used as a sole medium for growing plants and usually has to be mixed with another type of soil.

Now that you have a rough idea of the difference between potting soil and compost, let’s dig into the nitty-gritty.

Related article: Beginner’s guide to growing microgreens

What Is Potting Soil And When Should You Use It?

As mentioned earlier, potting soil is a growth medium formulated for most types of plants and herbs.

The three main categories of ingredients used are as follows:

Organic material: primary ingredients
Inorganic natural material: secondary ingredients to improve aeration and increase moisture.
Fertilizer: primary source of nutrients

Most potting soils consist of the following materials: compost, bark, perlite, peat moss, and/or earthworm castings.

Generally speaking, it has a composition of 70% soil and 30% organic matter that is meant to enrich the soil with valuable minerals and acids for optimal growth.

Potting soil should be used for the growth of most plants and herbs, including fruits and vegetables. This is especially true if you prefer to grow seeds or sprouts in pots or containers before transferring them to the ground.

Here’s a list of the different types of potting soil available on the market:

Indoor potting mix
All-purpose
Outdoor potting mix
Seed-starting potting mix
Moisture-holding potting mix
Raised beds potting mix
Garden soil
Orchid-potting mix
Succulent and cacti potting mix
African violet potting mix

Selecting the right type of potting mix depends on what you intend to grow, the location, and the stage of growth.

Related article: Beginner’s guide to compost tea

What Is Compost And When Should You Use It?

Compost is a mixture of different ingredients to create a rich and healthy fertilizer for your growth medium or potting soil.

It is primarily used to improve the conditions of the soil, making it more conducive to the growth of vegetation. This goal is achieved by enriching the soil with minerals and other compounds that improve the physical, biological, and chemical properties of the soil.

Here’s a look at the full list of ways to use compost in your garden:

To create potting mix
To enrich the soil for existing and new vegetation and flowers
To improve the appearance of your lawn
To control weeds
To make compost tea
To feed houseplants when needed

Compost should not be used as the sole growth medium. It should always be mixed with other ingredients to create a potting mix.

Furthermore, compost may directly be used to enrich soil from the ground to make it more conducive for the transfer of sprouts or shrubs or to promote the healthy growth of pre-existing plants.

What I like to do is add compost to the ground after a harvest of fruits and vegetables from my garden.

This has a positive effect on the longevity of my existing vegetation and improves the yield from my next harvest.

But doing this requires some knowledge of the acidity of the soil and whether a particular plant or flower can tolerate more compost at a given time.

Which Is Cheaper And Which Should You Use?

In my experience, the difference in price between potting mix and compost is minimal. I would argue that potting soil is slightly more expensive given it’s usability and purpose, especially if you opt for more specific types of potting soil like orchid potting mix or African violet potting mix.

For most people, I’d recommend using potting mix. It’s convenient, affordable, and effective. If you’re taking up gardening as a hobby or passion project, especially with kids, I’d recommend potting mix and growing your plants or vegetables in pots and containers at first.

It requires less thought and effort while providing beautiful results, even if you were to just sprinkle seeds onto the mix and water daily.

So it’s a very low-effort and easy way to develop a relationship with gardening.

If you’re looking to turn your yard into a full garden, that’s when you should look into compost because it’s more feasible and useful when working with soil from the ground.

That’s not to say that potting soil is incompatible, but for more control over the chemical and physical properties of your soil, focusing on singular ingredients can be extremely useful.

That brings us to the end of this article on the difference between potting soil and compost. I hope you found the explanations and comparisons to be insightful. Be sure to visit our YouTube channel for a visual comparison and more information on potting soil and compost.